Rise of Islam and The Invasion of Muhammad Bin Qasim

Islam is one of the world's major religions, with over 1.8 billion followers worldwide. The word "Islam" comes from the Arabic word "salam," which means "peace" or "submission." The central belief in Islam is that there is only one God, and that all people should submit to His will and guidance. Islam was founded in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad received revelations from God through the angel Gabriel, which were later recorded in the Quran. The Quran is considered the holy scripture of Islam, and is believed to be the literal word of God.

 

Rise of Islam :

• The religion of Islam was founded in the 7th century by Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE) in the city of Mecca, Arabia.
• Islam emphasizes the belief in one God (Allah) and its holy book, the Quran, which is considered as the Supreme Authority in Islam.
• The Five Pillars of Islam are:

1. Profession of Faith (shahada) - The belief that "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to Islam. (Kalma Tayaab : ‘La Ilaaha Illal Lahoo Muhamudur Rasool Ullah’)
2. Prayer (salat) - Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark.
3. Alms (zakat) - In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need.
4. Fasting (sawm) - During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink.
5. Pilgrimage (hajj) - Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia.

• Islam expanded rapidly After the death of Muhammad. In just 9 years Islam spread from arab region to Syria and Egypt.
• From 640 to 709, Islam spread to Asia, Europe and African Continent.
• This religion transformed the religious, political, and social life of the people of Arabia and other parts of the world.

Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE):

• He was born in Mecca in 570 and died in Medina in 632.



Muhammad receiving his first revelation from the angel Gabriel

• During 612-32, the Prophet Muhammad preached the worship of a single God, Allah, and the membership of a single community of believers (umma). This was the origin of Islam.
• In 613 CE, Muhammad found himself receiving messages of Allah and learned that he was a prophet in the same lineage as Moses and Jesus Christ.
• Then Muhammad declared himself to be the messenger (rasul) of God who had been commanded to preach that Allah alone should be worshipped.
• In 622, Muhammad was forced to migrate with his followers to Medina.
• Muhammad’sjourney from Mecca (hijra) was a turning point in the history of Islam, with the year of his arrival in Medina marking the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

Shia and Sunni Muslims: The Divide:

• After the death of Prophet Mohammad in 632 A.D., a strong disagreement among the followers of Islam emerged on who should succeed Prophet Mohammad as the leader of the Islamic Community.
• While some believed that the successor must be chosen by consensus, others believed that only Prophet’s descendants must lead the new faith. 
• Those who followed the Prophet’s closest companion (Abu Bakr) became known as Sunni (the followers of the Prophet’s example – Sunnah). Those who followed the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law (‘Ali) became known as Shi’a. 
• After the death of the prophet Muhammad (632 CE), Caliph Abu Bakr (632-634) restored order.
• His successors were Umar (634-644), Uthman (644-656), and Muhammad's son-in-law Ali (656-661). 

 

The Muslim Invader in India: Muhammad bin Qasim (712 AD) 

 

• The rise of Islam in India began with the conquest of Sind, one of the provinces of the present-day Pakistan and also one of the oldest Indus Valley civilisations, by the Arabs.
• The first Muslim who attacked India was Muhammad bin Qasim. He was born around 695 AD. He belonged to the Saqqafi tribe; that had originated from Taif in Arabia.
• He was commander of Umayyad Caliphate general.
• He was able to defeat the third and the last Maharaja of the Brahmin dynasty, Raja Dahir. Raja Dahir was killed in the Battle of Rewar.

Battle of Rewar: The Battle of Rewar was fought between Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Dahir, the king of Sindh, which is now part of Pakistan. Dahir was the last Hindu king of the Sindh Brahmin dynasty, which was then an Indian territory. He lost this battle to Muhammad-bin-Qasim. Sindh and Multan were both taken and Multan was dubbed the "City of Gold" by Muhammad-bin-Qasim.

Reasons of Muslim attack In India: · 

• Safety Of trading Route: Arabs had trade with India and Eastern Asia. The trade was carried through the sea route; the route was unsafe due to the plunder of the Pirates of Sindh. The Arab rebels also get refuge in Sindh. Thus, the Umayyad wanted to consolidate their rule and also to secure the trade route.
• Expansion of Muslim Empire: After the death of Prophet Muhammad, the Arabs conquered Persia and Herat and formed a large empire. After these conquests, their attention was towards India.

Implications of the Invasion:

Arabs could conquer only a small portion of India. Qasim had conquered a few territories, the Arabs failed to expand their territories beyond Multan and Sindh. Although The conquest of Sindh by the Arabs laid the foundation of Islam religion in India. Some significant impacts of the invasion of Sind by the Arabs in Indian History are as follows:

1. The Sind conquest by Muhammad Bin Qasim in 712 gave the Muslims a strong dominance in the Indian sub-continent and also showed the tolerance between the two religions.
2. Powers of India like Pratihara, Rashtrkuta and Pala gained legitimacy in India only after Arab invasion was failed.
3. Arab culture got enriched by the Hindu culture and civilization. Knowledge on Hindu philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine became popular with the Arabs.
4. Through the Arabs the Western world gained knowledge of Ankmala, Zero and decimal system from India. On the other hand, arab invasion caused Sufi-contemplation in West Asia.
5. There were no additional taxes imposed on Hindus for believing in Hinduism, which won their hearts and they welcomed the Arabs with open arms. After the Sindh invasion, the Hindus and Muslims lived as fellow citizens for many years and there was amity and peace between them.
6. The weakness of Indian rulers in this war made things easier for Mahumud of Ghazni and Mohammad Ghori to raid the country.